1. A.A. Bondy | Lovers' Waltz
This song was actually my wedding song. I've been obsessed with Bondy for years and my wife fell in Love with a lot of his tunes as well, so this one track had a huge impact in our lives to be used for our wedding day.

2. Townes Van Zandt | Waitin' Around To Die
There is nothing else that needs to be said. Period.

3. Burial | Come Down To Us
I've been a die-hard fan of Burial for years and the enigma that surrounds this character. He's able to create these beautiful landscapes through Sound and transcend these insane boundaries in Electronic Music. I just remember when this came out and I got it on vinyl and being brought to tears, drunk as fuck in my living room, blasting this EP. The whole thing is astounding and he keeps putting out better Music as he rolls, but this song hits me so hard.4. The Beatles | In My Life
Probably the best example of a beautifully constructed track, but also sort of a Pop sensibility with an upbeat feel. I'd choose the entire Beatles catalogue for this list. That little keyboard riff in the song just encapsulates what The Beatles are so good at - crisp musicianship, perfect songwriting, and pure Emotion. I didn't get into the Beatles until I was about 28, which is crazy to think about, but, in some ways, I'm OK with this because it's like rediscovering pure gold.5. Pink Floyd | Time
I grew up with Pink Floyd as a kid - my dad had a bunch of Floyd on vinyl and I just remember hearing this song for the first time as a kid and when that ripen' guitar solo comes in I remember being totally moved (if that's even possible when you're 5, or whatever age I was). I just remember my dad talking about seeing them and how incredibly loud and psychedelic it was. It painted a cool picture for how I wanted to play Music when I got older.6. Gaza | No Absolutes In Human Suffering
So I grew up listening to tons of Metal and Math Metal and Hardcore in Middle School and High School and then just abandoned it for years. During that period I hated the World and all I focused on was playing Music, regardless of what style. Gaza was probably the hardest band I've ever heard in my life as far as being so kick ass in their style of playing as well as vocal and lyrical execution for Metal. This song just serves as the perfect anthem for when I am having a great or horrible day. RIP Gaza. You have served as the gateway back into revisiting Metal and giving me confidence in not being ashamed for loving and blasting such amazing Music.

7. Nirvana | Negative CreepNirvana changed my life. There, I said it. Fuck the haters. I grew up on Kurt, he was one of the reasons I thought I could rip guitar or be in a band. Just to have the confidence without having some giant important image before the Music. Bleach is one of the nastiest, low-budget, garage-recorded albums ever produced. It's so fucking good. And this song is so perfect. The lyrics don't matter, it's this insane caged animal energy that he rips throughout the recording. The first cassette I ever owned, and I just remember loving embracing the sense of rebellion it provided.

8. Aphex Twin | Come To Daddy, Pappy Mix.
I just remember buying this on CD in Middle School and being so fucking confused by the whole thing. Who was this dude who put his face on all these different people? I grew up in a family where my older cousin was a DJ who was all into Trance and German beeps and boops and being so into these Electronic glitchy sounds growing up. He was also a drummer and I grew up playing drums and I have always been so into Electronic drums and trying to mesh beats with melodies. I just remember seeing this video of the song with this giant alien thing that yells in the face of this old lady and being like holy shit, that is so dark and horrifying - right up my alley!Long live Aphex Twin! Anything this guy drops is absolute Perfection.

9. Gillian Welch | Look At Miss Ohio
This chick kills it. Just covers the whole Americana scene so well and Dave Rawlings hands down makes me never wanna play guitar ever again. The two together are so perfect, like stem from the same egg. I spent some time in a tent in Alaska and this was all I listened too. I wanna do right, but not right now - such a good line - I just want to fuck around and do what I feel like until I'm ready to do what's acceptable. Great line. Just a great set of lyrics based on the American wedding tradition.

10. Lightning Bolt | Assassins
As a drummer, I just remember hearing this the first time it dropped and being so blown away. Brian Chippendale is such a fucking monster it's not even funny. I have the utmost respect for him as a musician and artist (I even have some of his hand printed comics of the Peanut Butter Ninja from his RISD and Fort Thunder days in Rhode Island). He is like the epitome of what I respect in Music - keep a clear head, stay focused, do what you want, stay healthy, and make Art. He's a godfather of the DIY scene and now, 20 years into his career, it is nice to say I've been a die hard fan since the beginning, paralleling with my own days at Art School and just being a renegade musician. I can say, I take a lot of his mentality still, into what I try to do today.

SIDE B | by James Hencken

1. Animal Collective | Flesh Canoe Flesh Canoe to me is the epitome of Genius Song Writing and Artistic Character combined. There is so much captured within that track, it is gut-wrenchingly honest and emotional while so interestingly put together. Animal Collective is one of my all-time favorite groups and so many of their songs contain Magic, it’s a very tough choice. But the raw sentiment and brilliant composition of that one always has me pointing it out as the best. The live Avey and Kira Brekken performance is also heart wrenching.

2. Marissa Nadler | Silvia
One of my favorite female songwriters and vocalists, Silvia just hits a nerve for me, as I’m sure it would for anyone who hears it.

3. The Books | Take Time
Again, it’s tough to pick one Books song, but since I have to.

4. Elliott Smith | StickmanWhat can you say?

5. The Flaming Lips | The Gash (Battle Hymn For The Wounded Mathematician)
Encapsulates so much of what I love about them. I’ve never heard another band come close to doing anything similar to this song, in my opinion. Then it goes into Feeling Yourself Disintegrate, which is just amazing.

8. Caetano Veloso | Nine Out Of TenCaetano Veloso and Jobim introduced me to a huge marvelous world of Brazilian Music, which I fell in love with. I became obsessed with the Music of people like Gilberto Gil, Jorge Ben, Elis Regina and tons more. There are a lot of really great Brazilian Psyche Rock bands too.

9. Sparklehorse | Hammering The CrampsMark Linkous was a hero of mine. This song is a classic.

10. The Zombies | This Will Be Our Year
This is one of the best Pop songs ever written. They have a lot of good songs. Colin Blunstone's voice is beautiful and endearing.

SIDE C | by Sabeel Azam

1. Circulatory System | The Lovely Universe
This whole record is one my favorites, but this song in particular pretty much encompasses everything I love about this band. Great Pop sensibility with the melodies, and the production is some of the best I've heard, which is interesting since I would consider it a Lo-Fi recording. The song is so dense with all the different instruments going on, but it never sounds overbearing. One of my favorite songs to listen to on headphones because the arrangement is incredible. It also has a nice psychedelic tinge to it. Melodic, Psychedelic, Dark Pop with meticulous arrangements.Can't get much better than that.

2. Six Organs Of Admittance | Elk River
There are a few songs by this band that I probably would consider just as good as this one, but Elk River has always stuck with me. I'm big on fingerstyle guitar and this guy is one my favorites. It's comforting to know how emotive an instrumental Acoustic guitar track can be. Apparently, the title is also the name of his hometown in Northern California. So now when I listen to it I'm immediately transported to Northern Cali even though I've never even been there before, haha.

3. The Beatles | Michelle
I have to include at least one Beatles song, and this one might seem like a surprising choice considering how many equally amazing songs they have that were also more sonically interesting or groundbreaking, but this song really exemplifies their songwriting chops fairly early on in their career. There's something about the way the harmonies and chords complement each other that makes me keep going back to this song even after years of being immersed in all their albums.

4. Sparklehorse | Sea Of Teeth
If I had to recommend one song by this band to someone it probably wouldn't be this one, but the ethereal quality of piano, guitar, mellotron combo, immediately puts me at ease, especially when coupled with the amazing production. Mark Linkous, the mastermind behind Sparklehorse, passed away a couple years back and I think it's one of the biggest tragedies in Music today. His production was otherworldly and I would've loved to see him go on to build a bigger reputation as a producer.

5. Emitt Rhodes | Promises I've Made
This guy was referred to as the One Man Beatles when his self-titled debut came out in 1970. This song is easily my favorite off the record. A lot of artists are referred to as Beatlesque, but this song could easily be mistaken for Paul McCartney. He pretty much wrote and recorded everything by himself on 4 tracks which is a feat in and of itself considering it could easily pass off as a full band, but the arrangements are on par with some of the best 60s Pop bands.6. The Exploding Hearts | Throwaway Style
This is one of the most catchy, fun songs and overall albums I own. These guys could easily pass off as a late 70s British Punk/Power Pop group, even though their record came out in 2003. They captured that sound so well and revitalized that scene to me. Their debut album is probably my favorite summer driving record.

7. Bruce Springsteen | For You
This choice is probably a major cliché since I've lived in New Jersey my whole life, but this is one of the most lyrically mind-blowing songs I've heard. A lot of my favorite lyrics are probably easier to appreciate in the context of the vocal melody, but this one can stand alone as a beautiful piece of Poetry. Of course, his delivery is what really takes the song to another level and the songwriting is so strong that it's easy to overlook the words entirely.

8. Feathers | Come Around
The first time I heard this tune I assumed it was a cover of some more famous band, but then I realized that's just evidence of how timeless the song really is. I can't believe the chorus didn't already exist before 2006. Maybe it's just due to the album cover, but I picture this song being performed in the middle of the woods being sung by a dozen people. I don't know if these guys are still around, because I haven't heard much of them since this record came out and I'm pretty sure there are a few other bands out now with the same name. But I hope there's a follow up to their debut at some point.

9. Heron | Yellow Roses
These guys are one of the many criminally overlooked Folk/Rock bands of the 60s/70s. They didn't push the boundaries of the genre like some of their contemporaries, but they created some of the most honest, organic songs out there. Part of that may be due to the fact that they preferred to record outdoors in the middle of a field instead of a studio. You can almost hear the wind blowing in the background on here.

10. Elliott Smith | Between The Bars
This is one of those songs that many songwriters, including myself, probably wish they wrote. It's the perfect blend of melody, chords and lyrics, all rooted in Simplicity. It's just barely over 2 minutes long, but its emotional depth is unreal. Lyrically, it can be interpreted in so many different ways. It's pretty much the most seductive Love song ever written.